Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice: Public Consultation

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which consultations published by their Department are awaiting a response; and when each of those responses (a) were initially planned to and (b) will be published.

Damian Hinds: Policy teams across the Ministry of Justice consult regularly during the policy development and implementation cycle.Information is available on gov.uk on all open and closed consultations published by the Ministry of Justice including the closing date for open consultations and, where available, the Government's response.The Government is committed to responding to consultations as soon as practicable after the consultation period closes, with a target of this being within 12 weeks of the consultation closing where possible. The Cabinet Office has published best practice ‘consultation principles’ for government departments.

Control of Dogs Order 1992

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data he holds on the number of fines imposed under the Control of Dogs Order 1992.

Damian Hinds: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of fines issued by the courts between 2017 and 2021, for offences under the Control of Dogs Order 1992 in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: December 2021.Information on the number of fines issued for this offence prior to 2017 can be found in the Principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code data tool. Note: This offence code includes offences ‘Contrary to article 3 of the Control of Dogs Order 1992, and sections 72 and 75 of the Animal Health Act 1981’. This is the most granular level of data we hold on this legislation in the Court Proceedings Database.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Public Consultation

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which consultations published by their Department are awaiting a response; and when each of those responses (a) were initially planned to and (b) will be published.

David Rutley: Policy teams across the FCDO consult regularly during the policy development and implementation cycle.Information is available on gov.uk on all open and closed consultations published by the FCDO including the closing date for open consultations and, where available, the Government's response.The Cabinet Office has published best practice 'consultation principles' for Government departments.

Department for Education

Disability and Special Educational Needs: Hertfordshire

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to correspondence from the Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing to the hon. Member for St Albans dated 21 February 2023, on what date her Department received a letter from Hertfordshire County Council on special educational needs and disabilities funding in Hertfordshire; and if she will meet with the hon. Member for St Albans to discuss that matter.

Claire Coutinho: Following on from my initial reply to the hon. Member for St Albans, received on 21 February, I will be sending a further response, copied to other hon. Members representing Hertfordshire constituencies. This will address the matters raised in the letter from Hertfordshire County Council’s Director of Inclusion and Skills dated 7 December 2022, which the hon. Member passed on to me.As arranged, I look forward to meeting the hon. Member for St Albans on Wednesday 19 April 2023.

Adoption: Mental Health Services

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education,  whether her Department is taking steps to increase the number of adoption registered therapists providing counselling to adults who were adopted as children.

Claire Coutinho: The department recognises the importance of the availability of counselling and therapeutic support to adults who were adopted as children. We agree that adult adoptees should be able to access the support that they need, particularly around their mental health needs.The department has recently consulted on amendments to regulations to simplify arrangements for providers who provide support to adopted adults. One of the proposed changes in the consultation is to remove the requirement that therapists be registered with Ofsted when providing counselling services to adopted adults. One of the aims of this is to increase the availability of counselling for adult adoptees. We are currently analysing the responses.The government is also improving NHS mental support availability. The NHS Long Term Plan and mental health expansion plans will increase funding for mental health services.

Pre-school Education

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure the adequate provision of nursery places across England following changes to the number of children eligible for free nursery hours.

Claire Coutinho: In the Spring Budget announcement of 15 March 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children, and the economy. By 2027/28, the government expects to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.Our reforms include:Providing over £4.1 billion by 2027/28 to fund 30 hours of free childcare for children over the age of nine monthsInvesting £204 million from September 2023, rising to £288 million in 2024/25 to uplift the rates for existing entitlementsIncreasing the supply of wraparound care through £289 million start-up fundingAttracting more people to childminding through an up to £7.2 million start-up grant fundGiving providers more flexibility by changing staff-to-child ratios to 1:5 for two-year-olds in EnglandLaunching a consultation on further measures to support reform of the childcare market, to explore further flexibilities for providers.The department is ensuring a phased implementation of the expansion to the 30 hours offer to allow the market to develop the necessary capacity.We will also continue to monitor the sufficiency of childcare places. The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents and children. Ofsted data shows that the number of places offered by providers on the Early Years Register has remained broadly stable at 1.3 million places since August 2015.Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing.We will continue to work closely with the sector on the implementation of these reforms and explore how we can support the sector to deliver the additional places that will be required. The department will set out further details in due course.

Pupils: Gaming

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will issue guidance to schools on identifying gaming disorders.

Nick Gibb: As part of the statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance, pupils are taught about the importance of online safety and the harms associated with excessive use. Pupils are also taught how to seek help and support for issues or have mental health concerns. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/relationships-and-sex-education-rse-secondary.Statutory health education, sets out that pupils are taught that although the internet is an integral part of life, they should understand the benefits of rationing time spent online, the risks of excessive time spent on electronic devices, the impact of positive and negative content and how this might affect mental and physical wellbeing.Schools can also access the 'Teaching online safety in schools' non-statutory guidance. This includes content on how schools can ensure their pupils understand how to stay safe and behave online as part of existing curriculum requirements and when they should seek support. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools.

Department for Education: Public Consultation

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which consultations published by their Department are awaiting a response; and when each of those responses (a) were initially planned to and (b) will be published.

Nick Gibb: Policy teams across the Department consult regularly during the policy development and implementation cycle. Information is available on GOV.UK on all open and closed consultations published by the Department, including the closing date for open consultations and, where available, the Government response. The Cabinet Office has published best practice ‘consultation principles’ for government departments.

Disability and Special Educational Needs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help school children with SEND access (a) therapy, (b) physiotherapy and (c) other support during the school holidays.

Claire Coutinho: ​​To ensure children and young people receive the support they need to thrive in education, the department is developing new national special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision standards covering early years, school, and post-16 provision. These will set out what support should be available and who is responsible for providing it, to give families confidence and clarity on how the needs of children and young people will be met.​To improve access to speech and language therapy, the department is funding the Early Language and Support For Every Child pathfinders in partnership with NHS England. This will fund nine Integrated Care Boards and one of the local areas within each of our nine Regional Expert Partnerships to trial new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech language and communication needs in early years and primary schools.​To support the supply of more speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to the NHS, since September 2020 all eligible undergraduate and postgraduate degree students have been able to apply for a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year, with further financial support available for childcare, accommodation, and travel costs.The department is also investing more than £200 million each year in our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, with all local authorities in England delivering in the Easter, summer, and Christmas holidays.Our HAF programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places for low-income families, providing vital holiday support for vulnerable children, including many with SEND or additional needs.In summer 2022, the HAF programme reached over 685,000 children and young people across England.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Public Consultation

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which consultations published by their Department are awaiting a response; and when each of those responses (a) were initially planned to and (b) will be published.

Mims Davies: All government consultations and calls for evidence are published on gov.uk, which also provides an update on whether government has responded to these.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health and Care Professions Council: Finance

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will hold discussions with the Health and Care Professions Council on the potential merits of (a) giving its membership a vote on its budget plans and (b) consulting with its membership on measures to reduce their costs.

Will Quince: The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) is the statutory professional regulator for 15 healthcare professions across the United Kingdom. It is independent from Government, self-funded through fees paid by its registrants and does not recognise itself as a membership body. It is the responsibility of the HCPC and its Council to determine the process for approving budget plans and who it consults concerning its operating costs. HCPC has a statutory requirement to consult on its Rules, which must include those it considers appropriate and may include registrants. As part of this consultation, an equality impact assessment will also be carried out.

General Practitioners: Labour Turnover

Holly Mumby-Croft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to increase the retention rate of GPs.

Neil O'Brien: We are working with NHS England to increase the general practice (GP) workforce in England. This includes measures to boost recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave, and encourage them to return to practice.NHS England has made a number of recruitment and retention schemes available to boost the GP workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.As announced in the 2023 Spring Budget, we are also increasing the annual allowance from £40,000 to £60,000 per year to encourage GPs to work more hours, and we are abolishing the lifetime allowance entirely so pension tax charges do not act as a driver for early retirements.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Health Services

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time was for (a) diagnosis of and (b) treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in England in each of the last five years.

Maria Caulfield: There is, at present, no single, established dataset that can be used to monitor waiting times for assessment or treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) nationally.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. NICE guidelines for ADHD diagnosis and management do not recommend a maximum waiting time standard from referral for an assessment of ADHD, nor do they set out a timeframe within which treatment for ADHD should be provided, but it does explain the key considerations for clinicians when deciding whether to offer treatment.In a recent Westminster Hall debate on 1 February 2023, I committed to look at how we can improve data on ADHD assessment waiting times, to help improve access to ADHD assessments in a timely way and in line with the NICE guideline.We are supporting ICBs to expand mental health services through the NHS Long Term Plan, which commits to increasing investment into mental health services by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 so that an additional two million people can get the support they need.

Coronavirus Act 2020

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason the Coronavirus Act 2020 has been extended for a further six months; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Caulfield: All the temporary, non-devolved provisions in the Coronavirus Act 2020 (‘the Act’) have now either expired or been repealed. The final temporary, non-devolved provisions in the Act expired at the end of 24 September 2022.The Act contains a number of permanent provisions, which do not automatically expire. Many of these provisions preserve the legal effect of certain actions taken during the lifespan of the temporary provisions in the Act.The Act is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament and provides devolved powers which are the responsibility of the respective Devolved Governments to which they extend. Each Devolved Government has its own arrangements for reporting on the powers within their legislative competence.

Influenza: Vaccination

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to procure flu vaccinations for winter 2023-24.

Maria Caulfield: For the children’s flu programme, the UK Health Security Agency has contracts in place for the supply of flu vaccines throughout the 2023/24 season.For all other eligible groups, general practitioners and other providers are responsible for ordering flu vaccines directly from suppliers to deliver the national flu programme.

Health Services: Finance

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of his Department's annual budget (a) will be spent on primary care in 2022-23 and (b) was spent on primary care in each of the last five years.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of his Department's annual budget (a) will be spent on social care in 2022-23 and (b) was spent on social care in each of the last five years.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of his Department's annual budget (a) will be spent on community care in 2022-23 and (b) was spent on community care in each of the last five years.

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of his Department's annual budget (a) will be spent on diagnostics in 2022-23 and (b) was spent on diagnostics in each of the last five years.

Neil O'Brien: Detailed breakdowns of the Department’s expenditure are included in the Departmental Annual Report and Accounts. These breakdowns report the limit of audited expenditure detail that is available, but do not include all spending categories covered in these questions. Where possible, we have included both audited spending data and the Departmental estimates to answer some but not all of these questions below. Final figures for 2022/23 figures are not yet available.All primary care, including General Medical, Dental, Pharmaceutical and Ophthalmic Services are commissioned and paid for by NHS England and integrated care boards. The following table summarises the expenditure on these services reported in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts and compares that to the total Departmental Resource DEL (RDEL) spending for the period. 2021-20222020-20212019-20202018-20192017-2018Total Department RDEL Outturn (by million £s)183,664181,441134,183125,278120,650Of which, spending by NHS England on Primary Care -General Dental Services and Personal Dental Services3,1003,0623,0892,9202,945General, Personal and Alternative Provider Medical Services11,36510,3999,1548,5268,274Pharmaceutical Services2,3412,1241,9611,9351,907General Ophthalmic Services561590548554556 17,36716,17614,75213,93513,682as a % of total Departmental RDEL9.5%8.9%11.0%11.1%11.3%Source: DHSC Annual Report and Accounts, “Departmental Group Detail – Expenditure” tablesThe vast majority of social care funding is held by local Government and is not part of the Department’s budgets. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ core spending power tables provide an overview of the core grants available to local authorities. These can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/core-spending-power-final-local-government-finance-settlement-2023-to-2024The Department’s Resource DEL budget does fund a smaller amount of social care-related spending. This budget includes some grants paid directly to local Government, with the majority managed by NHS England via the Better Care Fund (BCF). A small amount of central spending is managed directly within the Department. The table below provides estimates of the related expenditure incurred by the Department and compares that to the total Department Resource DEL spending for the period. 2021-20222020-20212019-20202018-20192017-2018Total Department RDEL outturn (by million £s)183,664181,441134,183125,278120,650NHS England contribution to BCF for Adult Social Care2,0071,8941,7791,6271,594The Department’s social care related expenditure (including grants)1,2881,443172164166Total3,2953,3361,9511,7911,760as a % of total Departmental RDEL1.8%1.8%1.5%1.4%1.5%Source: Departmental estimatesExpenditure on community care is not strictly defined and not separately reported in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts. Provision of community care will cross organisations and expenditure types, so it is not possible to provide separate spending figures for this category.RDEL expenditure on diagnostics is not strictly defined and not separately reported in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts. Spending on diagnostic services will cross organisations and expenditure types, so it is not possible to provide separate spending figures for this category.Capital expenditure on diagnostic equipment is usually made at local level through integrated care system capital envelopes and is subject to local decision making on prioritisation. The national total for all local capital investment is £4.2 billion for 2022/23.In addition to that, the Government has provided an extra £2.3 billion for the period between 2022/23 to 2024/25 to transform diagnostic services, and to roll out up to a total of 160 community diagnostic centres by March 2025 to help improve diagnostic services up and down the country, and other specific capital funding to improve diagnostic capacity has been provided through national programmes. The following table provides a timeseries showing the periods for which data is available.  2021-20222020-20212019-2020Total Departmental CDEL Outturn (by million £s)7,12612,6837,015National Diagnostic Programme2739997as a % of total Departmental CDEL3.8%0.8%1.4%Note: The above shows national capital investment and does not include operational capital.

NHS: Temporary Employment

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the financial cost of agency, bank, and other temporary staffing costs at NHS and NHS foundation trusts (a) in total and (b) broken down by trust in 2021-2022.

Will Quince: The validated data is not yet published for 2021/22.While the NHS Consolidated Accounts have been published, this does not include an explicit figure for agency or bank spend as it is bundled together with other spend items.We expect the 2021/22 agency and bank spend data, for the National Health Service as a whole and for individual trusts, to be published this spring.

Home Office

Sleeping Rough

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Anti-social behaviour action plan, published on 27 March 2023, whether her Department plans to take steps to help ensure police officers are trained in referring rough sleepers deemed to be in breach of the law to appropriate support services.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Government is clear that no one should be criminalised simply for having nowhere to live.  We have already embarked on a strategy to end rough sleeping with a focus on prevention and multi-agency support for vulnerable individuals, backed by £2 billion over three years.However, there are some instances of behaviour by those begging or sleeping rough that can cause harm or distress to the individuals and the wider public. Where this happens the Government wants to ensure police forces and local authorities are given the tools to direct vulnerable individuals into support where appropriate and help the public feel safe.We will continue to engage with stakeholders on these complex issues, before separate legislation is brought forward at the earliest parliamentary opportunity.

Home Office: Public Consultation

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which consultations published by their Department are awaiting a response; and when each of those responses (a) were initially planned to and (b) will be published.

Miss Sarah Dines: Policy teams across the Home Office consult regularly during the policy development and implementation cycle.Information is available on gov.uk on all open and closed consultations published by the Home Office including the closing date for open consultations and, where available, the Government's response.The Cabinet Office has published best practice ‘consultation principles’ for government departments.

Home Office: Aviation

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer on 28 March 2023 to Question 169227, on how many occasions she or her predecessors have travelled overseas on non-scheduled flights with members of (a) the media and (b) business delegations in the travelling party in the period since 1 January 2021.

Miss Sarah Dines: The Home Secretary has travelled overseas on a non-scheduled flight with members of the media on one occasion.

Self-harm and Violence: Children

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the sale of razors and pencil sharpeners in shops to minors on their subsequent use for self-harm or violent purposes.

Miss Sarah Dines: Section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, created the offence of selling any knife, knife blade, razor blade, axe or any other article which has a blade or which is sharply pointed and which is made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person, to a person under the age of 18. Pencil sharpeners would not usually fall under the definition of the age restricted items.When the legislation was debated in parliament, it was considered whether any exemptions should apply. The Government’s approach was to balance the need for young people to have access to certain small, bladed items, for example disposable razor blade cartridges, against the intended aim of reducing knife crime. The legislation reflects this approach and disposable razor cartridges are exempt from the age restriction by way of s2 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Exemption) Order 1996.The Home Office does not hold figures on the use of pencil sharpener blades or razor blades for use in self-harm or for violent purposes.

Violence: Children

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to support the police to help reduce the number of cases of (a) children assaulting their parents or guardians due to (i) gaming and (ii) other technology withdrawal disorders and (b) other inter-familial attacks.

Miss Sarah Dines: Child and adolescent to parent violence and abuse (‘CAPVA’) is a hidden but increasingly recognised form of abuse.The Home Office have been working to better understand CAPVA, including why it happens and how best to tackle it. As part of our 2021-22 Domestic Abuse Research Fund, we awarded over £1m for various research projects. Included in this were projects that specifically focused on under-researched areas like CAPVA. Over the last three years we have also invested over £41m in increasing the availability of interventions for domestic abuse perpetrators (for example behaviour change programmes) which will also improve our understanding of what works to reduce reoffending. This has included funding projects that specifically work with children and young people displaying these types of behaviours. We recently launched a similar fund worth £36m over the next two years.More widely, in our cross-government Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan, the Home Office committed to publishing updated guidance for front line practitioners on child to parent abuse. We will seek input from those working in police, health, education and social care to help develop and hone this guidance. The Home Office will also work with stakeholders to reach an agreed definition and terminology for this type of behaviour which will help in identifying and addressing it.

Asylum: Housing

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2023 to Question 159040 on Asylum: Housing; how many incidents accommodation providers reported to the asylum accommodation and support contracts high profile notification team in customer services in each year since 2022.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2023 to Question 159040 on Asylum: Housing; what type of incidents accommodation providers are required to report to the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts High Profile Notification team.

Kate Osamor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2023 to Question 159040 on Asylum: Housing; whether the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts High Profile Notification team holds information on of the number of incidents reported by each accommodation provider.

Robert Jenrick: The High Profile Notification (HPN) team records and holds details of any act or incident reported by providers involving asylum support service users, asylum support accommodation premises or asylum support service providers that as a consequence of the act or incident, one or more of the following could apply:has the potential for serious criminal charges to be brought against the service user as the perpetratorhas the potential for serious criminal charges to be brought on behalf of the service user as the victimposes a risk of serious harm to a service user or othershas the potential for third-party statutory investigation or significant interventionThe HPN team records details of incidents reported by providers that cover the following categories:Violence/Inappropriate Behaviour/Criminal activity – Non-SexualViolence/Inappropriate Behaviour/Criminal activity – Sexual in NatureThreat of self-harmAttempted suicideNewsworthy but Non-ViolentSelf-HarmDeath of a Service User (cause to be confirmed)These figures are not available in a reportable format and providing information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Border Force Independent Review

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to accept the recommendations made by Alexander Downer in his review of Border Force, published in July 2022.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Secretary welcomed the report and recommendations of Alexander Downer’s review of Border Force when published in July 2022. A broad programme of activity is now underway to ensure Border Force continues to fulfil its role effectively, and Ministers are being kept informed of progress.

Marriage: Fraud

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2023 to Question 165225 on Marriage Fraud, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of collecting data on allegations relating to fraudulent marriage; and how many Public Statement: Relationship No Longer Subsisting forms have been received in each year since 2015.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office has not made assessment of the potential merits of collecting data on allegations relating to fraudulent marriage.The data regarding the No Longer Subsisting Forms are not held centrally and to obtain it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Public Consultation

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which consultations published by their Department are awaiting a response; and when each of those responses (a) were initially planned to and (b) will be published.

George Freeman: The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology was created in February 2023. The Department has not issued any consultations for which a response is outstanding.As part of the Machinery of Government changes, we inherited 5 ongoing consultations from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport:- The future of connected and automated mobility in the UK: call for evidence;- Project Gigabit: open market review request for information - Wales;- Wireless Infrastructure Strategy: call for evidence;- Open Market Review: Superfast and Gigabit broadband infrastructure in Scotland - request for information;- Online Advertising Programme. We will respond to these consultations as soon as possible.

Office for Life Sciences: Finance

Margaret Ferrier: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether it is her policy to secure funding for the Office for Life Sciences’ respiratory healthcare mission.

George Freeman: The Government, via the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the Medical Research Council, invest significantly in research and development into respiratory diseases. This investment is aligned to the aims and ambitions of the proposed Respiratory Mission, outlined in the Life Science Vision, to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with respiratory disease. The Office for Life Sciences will continue to work with public, private and philanthropic partners to identify options and funding opportunities that could allow a specific Respiratory Mission to be set up and delivered.

Horizon Europe

Rosie Duffield: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what his timetable is for the UK's association with the Horizon scheme.

George Freeman: The UK welcomes the EU’s recent willingness to engage in discussions on UK association to EU programmes. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State travelled to Brussels on 4 April for an introductory meeting with R&I Commissioner Mariya Gabriel to discuss research collaboration including the UK’s expectations around association to Horizon Europe. The visit in Brussels follows engagement between the UK and the EU Ambassador on 14 March. The UK wants to engage constructively with the EU regarding Horizon Europe association. Discussions will need to reflect the lasting impact of 2 years delay to the UK’s association.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy Bills Discount Scheme: Cleaning Services

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including the commercial laundry sector in the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries Scheme.

Amanda Solloway: The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) review assessed a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence and contributions from businesses and other stakeholders, on sectors that may be most affected by price increase based on energy and trade intensity (ETII). The Commercial Laundry Sector does not fall within the trade intensive category and therefore not included in the ETII scheme. The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) starts on 1 April 2023, and all eligible non-domestic customers, including the commercial laundry sector, will automatically receive a unit discount on their bills of up to £19.61/MW for electricity, and £6.97/MW for gas, except for those experiencing low energy costs.

Alternative Fuel Payments

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the level of take up of Alternative Fuel Payment vouchers in each local authority.

Amanda Solloway: Electricity suppliers, who deliver the automatic enrolment element of the Alternative Fuel Payment scheme, recently provided MPAN-level delivery data to Government. Transparency data will be published in due course.

Wind Power: Scotland

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether officials in his Department were approached by Crown Estates Scotland for guidance prior to the granting of the ScotWind offshore licences.

Graham Stuart: The Department was not approached for guidance. Seabed leasing in Scottish waters is the responsibility of Crown Estate Scotland.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Public Consultation

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, which consultations published by their Department are awaiting a response; and when each of those responses (a) were initially planned to and (b) will be published.

Graham Stuart: The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero was created in February 2023. The Department has not issued any consultations for which a response is outstanding. As part of the Machinery of Government changes, the Government inherited 34 ongoing consultations from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:- Review of the energy intensive industries exemption scheme;- Considerations for future Contracts for Difference (CfD) rounds;- Capacity Market 2023: strengthening security of supply and alignment with net zero;- Improving boiler standards and efficiency;- Smart Meter Targets Framework: minimum installation requirements for Year 3 (2024) and Year 4 (2025);- Review of consents for major energy infrastructure projects and Special Protection Areas, 2022;- Data sharing regulations for a safeguard energy tariff;- Energy retail: opt-in and testing opt-out switching;- Designing a framework for transparency of carbon content in energy products: call for evidence;- Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes;- Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme: request for information;- Review of consents for major energy infrastructure projects and Special Protection Areas;- Proposals for hydrogen transport and storage business models;- Decarbonisation readiness: call for evidence on the expansion of the 2009 Carbon Capture Readiness requirements;- Future of the energy retail market: call for evidence;- 1st Offshore Carbon Dioxide Storage Licensing Round Appropriate Assessment;- UK Emissions Trading Scheme free allocation review: call for evidence;- Greenhouse gas removals (GGR) business models;- Phasing out the installation of fossil fuel heating systems in businesses and public buildings off the gas grid;- Re-coupling Great Britain electricity auctions for cross-border trade;- Exemptions from the requirement for an electricity licence: call for evidence;- Climate Change Agreements (CCAs): proposals for a future scheme;- Future policy framework for power with carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS): call for evidence;- Land rights and consents for electricity network infrastructure: call for evidence;- Introducing a performance-based policy framework in large commercial and industrial buildings;- Role of biomass in achieving net zero: call for evidence;- Cost of energy review: call for evidence;- Improving home energy performance through lenders;- Potential of marine energy projects in Great Britain: call for evidence;- Designing the Green Heat Network Fund: call for evidence;- Phasing out the installation of fossil fuel heating in homes off the gas grid;- Green Gas Support Scheme 2022 annual tariff review: call for evidence;- Third-party intermediaries in the retail energy market: call for evidence;- Non-domestic Private Rented Sector minimum energy efficiency standards: EPC B implementation.We will respond to these consultations as soon as possible.

Warm Home Discount Scheme: Eligibility

James Wild: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many people have contacted the Warm Homes Discount helpline as a result of being ineligible for an automatic rebate.

Amanda Solloway: There have been just over 500,000 calls to the helpline from people who were not identified through the data matching as eligible for an automatic rebate this scheme year.The Government will publish statistics on eligibility in the summer, after the scheme year has ended.

Warm Home Discount Scheme: Eligibility

James Wild: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who were eligible for the Warm Homes Discount under the broader group criteria in the previous scheme but do not qualify under the core groups criteria in the current scheme.

Amanda Solloway: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Bradford South on 9th March 2023 to Question 156174.

Energy Bills Discount Scheme: Hospices

Wendy Morton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Energy Bills Discount Scheme in meeting the needs of the hospice sector.

Amanda Solloway: As part of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme review, the Government assessed a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence from businesses and stakeholders, including hospices, on sectors that may be most affected by rising energy prices based on energy and trade intensity. The Energy Bill Discount Scheme (EBDS) will run from April until March 2024, and will continue to provide a discount to eligible non-domestic customers, including hospices. The Government recognises the vital role that charities and the voluntary sector, including hospices play in our communities. That is why my Rt. Hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Spring Budget additional funding of over £100m for charities and community organisations who are impacted by high energy costs.

Charging Points and Heat Pumps

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of homes that will be able to simultaneously use two electric car chargers and a heat pump.

Graham Stuart: The Government has not made such an estimate, which would depend on variables such as size of heat pump, power of electric vehicle charge point and existing supply capacity. Domestic supplies can be upgraded if required and the use of smart energy management solutions such as electric vehicle smart charging can also help reduce the maximum demand of a property to facilitate the installation, and use, of low carbon technologies.

Charging Points and Heat Pumps

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of homes in the UK that can simultaneously use two electric car chargers and a heat pump.

Graham Stuart: The Government has not made such an estimate, which would depend on variables such as size of heat pump, power of electric vehicle charge point and existing supply capacity. Domestic supplies can be upgraded if required and the use of smart energy management solutions such as electric vehicle smart charging can also help reduce the maximum demand of a property to facilitate the installation, and use, of low carbon technologies.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Public Consultation

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which consultations published by their Department are awaiting a response; and when each of those responses (a) were initially planned to and (b) will be published.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Policy teams across the Ministry of Defence (MOD) consult regularly during the policy development and implementation cycle. Information is available on gov.uk on all open and closed consultations published by the MOD including the closing date for open consultations and, where available, the Government’s response. The Government is committed to responding to consultations as soon as practicable after the consultation period closes, with a target of this being within 12 weeks of the consultation closing where possible.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Canaries: Transport

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether canaries can be transported without paperwork between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain and the return journey.

Rebecca Pow: Owners should continue to follow existing arrangements with regards to the movement of canaries.

Convention on Biological Diversity

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 March 2023 to Question 164001 on the Convention on Biological Diversity, when her Department plans to publish the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to bring it into line with the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework agreed at COP16.

Trudy Harrison: At COP15 all Parties committed to reviewing and updating their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans to bring them into line with the new Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by COP16 in 2024. The UK will honour this commitment and will publish the relevant documentation ahead of the next meeting of the COP.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: EU Law

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish documents held by his Department on the estimated red tape costs of implementing EU legislation from 2011 to 2020.

Dehenna Davison: The Government does not hold this information centrally and on a fully comparable basis.The department is looking, however, at ensuring that the opportunities of EU exit are realised. For example, we have introduced the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and are supporting freeports across the UK.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Public Consultation

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which consultations published by their Department are awaiting a response; and when each of those responses (a) were initially planned to and (b) will be published.

Dehenna Davison: Information is available on gov.uk on all open and closed consultations published by the Department, including the closing date for open consultations and, where available, the Government's response.

Department for Transport

Network Rail: Finance

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated maintenance budget of Network Rail is in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024; and whether that estimated budget has been revised in the last 12 months.

Huw Merriman: Network Rail’s business plans were last updated in February 2023. The forecasted maintenance spend for 2023 and 2024 is shown below:April 2022 – March 2023, the forecasted maintenance spend is £2.1bnApril 2023 – March 2024, the forecasted maintenance spend is £2.2bn Following the Secretary of State’s High Level Output Specification and Statement of Funds Available for Control Period 7, that was issued in early December, Network Rail will shortly publish a response which will provide more detail on the maintenance plans for 2024-2029.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Public Consultation

Sarah Olney: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which consultations published by their Department are awaiting a response; and when each of those responses (a) were initially planned to and (b) will be published.

Alex Burghart: Information is available on gov.uk on all open and closed consultations published by the Cabinet Office including the closing date for open consultations and, where available, the Government's response.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Performing Arts: Finance

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations she has received on increasing funding for the performing arts.

Julia Lopez: The Government has increased funding for the performing arts.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport principally supports the arts through funding for Arts Council England, which makes individual decisions about which organisations and projects to fund at arm’s length from Ministers. At the Spending Review in 2021, the Government provided increased funding for Arts Council England. Arts Council England’s indicative financial settlement for 2022–5 includes an uplift of £43.5 million, or 2 per cent. As a result of this, and money from the National Lottery, Arts Council England will be spending more each year (by around £30 million) through its new Investment Programme (2023–6) than in the previous round (2018–23). It is investing in a record number of organisations, in more parts of the country than ever before.This is in addition to the direct funding programmes through which the Department invests in arts and culture such as the Cultural Investment Fund and cross-Government funds such as the Towns Fund and the Levelling Up Fund which have benefited arts and cultural organisations across the country, as well as the more than £1.5 billion of support the Government made available to around 5,000 organisations and sites during the pandemic through the Culture Recovery Fund.At the Budget last month, we extended the higher rates of Theatre Tax Relief, Orchestras Tax Relief, and Museums and Galleries Exhibition Tax Relief until 2025 – changes that are estimated to be worth £350 million over five years.The Department is proud to work with a range of organisations representing the performing arts, and to receive representations about funding and other issues which can help them thrive. Arts and culture make a huge contribution to this country, not only to our economy and international reputation, but also to the wellbeing and enrichment of its people and communities.

Musicians and Music Venues: Finance

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to provide financial support to grassroots music (a) venues and (b) artists and crew.

Julia Lopez: The Government is committed to supporting our grassroots music venues, which are the backbone of our world-leading music sector.The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in regular discussions with all parts of the music industry, including live venues across the country of all sizes. We work with the industry and across Government to improve the sector's resilience, as demonstrated through the £1.57 billion Cultural Recovery Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the £18 billion Energy Bills Relief Scheme.We will continue to engage with the sector on the impact of current pressures. As part of this engagement, I met the Music Venues Trust last week to discuss issues facing the live music sector, and further ways to support the growth of the music sector and wider creative industries. The Secretary of State will also meet with music industry leaders this week, including representatives from the grassroots music sector, to further discuss matters affecting the music sector.